This interview first appeared in a December 2017 issue of NME magazine
The first artist I remember hearing
Bob Marley
“I remember my aunt always played Bob Marley. We’re West Indian and it was the one aspect of my culture that I was still connected to, because everyone had been so Americanised. I remember being around my aunt’s house and hearing a lot of Bob Marley and then being around my uncle’s house and hearing Led Zeppelin and Ozzy Osbourne.”
The first gig I went to
The Jacksons, 1984
“It was the Victory Tour. I don’t remember a lot – but I had a poster on my wall from it! The Victory Tour, Teena Marie and Prince were my first three concerts.”
The first album I bought
Prince – ‘1999’
“My mother had all his other albums and I was always fascinated with him. I used to love ‘Little Red Corvette’. Prince was the was the first artist I got obnoxiously obsessed with.”
The song that makes me want to dance
Jaden Smith – ‘Icon’
“There’s not a lot of music that moves me in that way, but I’ve listened to that song and watched that video over and over again. It doesn’t have to do with the fact that he’s my child, even though I’m a proud mama for sure!”
The song I can’t get out of my head
Willow Smith – ‘And Contentment’
“Funny enough! I told her the other day, ‘Between you and your brother, I’m sick of having these songs in my head!’ It’s my joy to watch them budding in all their creative endeavours – music, fashion, acting, storytelling. They both have so much going on. It’s the thing I always wanted – I wanted to have a creative family, and that’s what I’ve got.”
The artists that made me want to perform
Prince/Axl Rose
“Somewhere in between Prince and Axl Rose. That combination of rock ’n’ roll and R&B flavour I’ve always loved. I’ve incorporated it into my style in [my band] Wicked Wisdom – it’s a heavier sound with R&B melodies.”
The song that reminds me of home
MC Shan – ‘The Bridge’
“It’s a really old-school song and it reminds me of my teen years, running the streets of Baltimore.”